Isaac w



No. 624,632. Patented May 9, I899. I. W. DRUMMOND.

PAIN T M IX E R.

(Application filed. Jan. 4, 1899.)

(No Model.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC lV. DRUMMOND, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

PAINT-MIXER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,632, dated May 9,1899.

Application filed January 4, 1899. Serial No- 701,099. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC W. DRUMMOND, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city of New York,county and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Paint-Mixers, of which the following is a specification.

In the use of paint-mixers, or, as sometimes called, dipping-machines,the difiiculty is encountered that when the apparatus is unused for atime-as, for instance, over Sunday or during a holiday and in someinstances even for so short a period as overnight the pigment willprecipitate through the oil or equivalent liquid, depositing itself uponthe bottom or lower portions of the tank and upon the mixing apparatususually there located, and before the use of the apparatus can beresumed it is necessary that the pigment be in some way again uniformlydistributed through the mass of oil or equivalent liquid. This issometimes a difficult matter to accomplish, because certain pigments,particularly if allowed to remain in their precipitated condition forany considerable length oftime, acquire such a degree of solidity thatit is difficult for the mixers to stir or break them up, and thus makethe contents of the tank homogeneous.

The purposeof my invention, therefore, is to afford means whereby thepigment as it precipitates will fall upon what may be called a two-partfalse bottom located within the tank and above the stirring or mixingdevices, the construction being such that both of these parts haveopenings through them, and one of them is adapted to move relatively tothe other after the fashion of an ordinary draftregulator in stoves, sothat when the movable part is in one position its solid orclosed por-The invention likewise contemplates so constructing and arranging themovable part that it shall during its movement over the other orstationary part sheer ofi or remove the pigments which have beendeposited by precipi- Referring to the drawings hereof, Figure 1illustrates a longitudinal vertical sectional view of one form of myapparatus, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2.illustrates a planview of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. 3 shows a detail in perspective.

A illustrates the tank. It is usually made of boiler-iron, but may bemade of any suitable construction and of any desired form anddimensions.

B is a shaft journaled at or near its opposite ends in or upon the Wallsof the tank.

0 O are rotary mixing-blades fast on the shaft.

D is a stuffing-box through which the shaft passes at one end andwhereby leakage of the liquids is prevented.

E is a driving-pulley, and F a driving-belt.

Ishow a single shaft with propeller-blades or mixers and associatedmechanism, and it is located in the central lineof the tank. I wish itdistinctly understood, however, that this form of mixer is shown merelyas an example of one form of suitable apparatus. There are a largenumber of devices, some of them resembling that shown by me and someembodying a series of pipes, with a pump whereby the liquid is jettedfrom holes or nozzles in the pipes; also, oscillating paddles andsimilar devices may be used for the purpose of agitating'the liquid, andif a shaft with propeller-blades such as shown by me is used there maybe two or more of them in the bottom of the tank to more completelyagitate its contents, or the bottom of the tank may be made semicircularin shape, and a shaft having larger propellers or mixingbladessubstantially coinciding in size with Fig.

the semicircular bottom of the tank may be put at rest.

employed. In other words, Ido not limit myself in any respect as to thisfeature of the apparatus.

Above the mixing or agitating devices, whatever they may be, the falsebottom referred to by me is placed. It is composed of two parts. One ofthem, G, is stationary and comprises side sections and cross-sectionshaving open spaces H between them, the area of which is substantiallythe same as the cross sections G between them, although preferablyslightly lessin width. This frame is supported on its edges and ends bysuitable sustaining devices such as the brackets I on the tank. Theother or movable part of the false bottom is superposed upon thestationarypart just described and iS'COlllposed of a lateral frame K,having cross sections or pieces K, somewhat resembling elongatedsaw-teeth-that is to say, they project upwardly from the frame K, andone of their sides is inclined (to the left in this drawing) and theother side is or may be vertical. The arrangement is such that thesesections K when the frame is moved to the right, as shown in Fig. 1,will cover and close the openings H in the lower or stationary plate,the front orsheering edges of the inclined-surfaces of the projections Kresting upon the cross-sections G of the stationary part adjacent to theedge of the openings bet-ween them.

L is a shaft or equivalent device rigidly attached t the movable part ofthe frame, which passes outwardly through the wall of the tank through astuffing-box M and is threaded on its outer end N, on which a handwheelO,'which has a threaded hub P, engages. The hand-wheel is held againstmovement in either direction by arms Q, which engage with a groove onthe casing of the stuffing-box, as shown, so that rotary movement ispermitted the hand-wheel 0, but not longitudinal movement in eitherdirection.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: At the time the use of theapparatus ceases the hand-wheel O is turned in such manner that themovable upper frame K K is moved to the right, so that thecross-sections K- cover the openings H in the lower or stationary part.Of course the mixer B C is While the parts are in this position thepigments precipitate, settling in the liquid (shown at X) and depositsitself upon the-exposed parts of thefalse bottom. lVhen it is desired toresume work, the mixers or stirrers are started, and at the same timethe hand-wheel is operated in such manner as to slide the movable halfof the false bottom to the left. In its transit it sheers off thepigments which have deposited upon the crosssections G of the stationarypart, during which operation the pigment crowds upon that which has beendeposited upon the inclined surface of the projections K, likewisebreaking it up, and as soon as the movement of oneof the parts overtheother produces slits or openings through the false bottom the liquid,which is violently agitated by the mixer, spurts upwardly through suchopenings and continues so to do until the movable part has completed itsmovement, by which time practically all of the deposited pigment hasbeen carried upwardly into the tank It will be noted that'one side ofthe'up-' wardly-projeeting sections K is made practically vertical. Thisis so that there will not be any precipitation of the pigments upon thatsurface, sincethere is nothing excepting the swash of the liquid tobreak it up or remove it should it be deposited thereon. I thereforeprefer the construction shown. I also sometimes prefer to make thecross-sections G of the stationary lower frame pointed transversely ontheir lower surfaces, as shown by dotted lines -R R, the. This is so theliquid which is forced upwardly by the agitators may impinge against theinclined surfaces referredto'and guide upwardly through the openings inthe false bottom, thus pre venting reverse currents and conducing to theupward rush of the liquid through said openings.

I wish it distinctly understoodthat I'do not limit myself to any of theabove-recited details. features in an apparatus of this character;but'it will be obvious to those'wh'o are familiar with such apparatusthat a'number of changes may be made without departing from theessentials of the invention. For instance, the upper plate, K K, may bestationary and the under one, G, movable. Also a lever suitably arrangedmay be employed instead of a hand-wheel, and it may be located entirelywithin the tank, so as to avoid the necessity for a stufling-box, 850.Also the shape and relative dimensions of the cross-sections K and G ofthe two frames may be varied from that shown. I therefore do not limitmyself to any of thedetails shown, the essentialfeature of myimprovement being that there shall be a two-part false bottom locatedabove the mixing devices whatever their construction may be, both partsof the false bottom being perforated and one or both of them movable, sothat the perforations may be made to register and non-register with eachother for the purposes stated, and that as they pass over one anotherthe pigment deposited upon them may be dislodged and moved into suchposi- They are in 'my opinion valuable tion that it will be subjected tothe currents generated by the mixer or mixers.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, in apaint-mixer, of a tank, agitating or mixing devices, a two-part falsebottom located above the mixing de vices, each part being perforated,and means to move one of theparts, for the purposes set forth. i

2. The combination, in a paint-mixer, of a tank, agitating or mixingdevices, a two-part false bottom located above the mixing devices,eachpart being perforated in such manner that the perforations may be madeto register with each other, and means to move one of the parts, for thepurposes set forth.

3. The combination, in a paint-mixer, of a tank, agitating or mixingdevices, a two-part false bottom located above the mixing devices, eachpart being perforated, the two parts resting upon each other in suchmanner tank, agitating or mixing devices, a two-part false bottomlocated above the mixing devices, each part being perforated, thecrosssections of the lowermost part having down Wardly-presented angularsides whereby the,

currents generated by the mixer will be deflected upwardly through theopenings, and means to move one. of theparts, for the pur* poses setforth.

6. The combination, in a paint-mixer, of a tank, agitating or mixingdevices, a two-part false bottom located above the mixing devices, eachpart being perforated, the sections of the upper part which lie betweenthe perforations being angular and having. an upward presentation andthe sections between the perforations of the lower part being angularand having a downward presentation, and means to move one ofthe parts,for the purposes set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county and State of New York, this 30th dayof Decemher, A. D. 1898.

, ISAAC W. DRUMMONl).

